The Magazine of Saint Ninian's Episcopal Church
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE MAGAZINE OF SAINT NINIAN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH (Corner of Albert Drive and Pollokshaws Road Glasgow) www.stniniansglasgow.org.uk www.facebook.com/StNiniansPollokshields June 2019 Service Times Sunday Services 8am Morning Prayer (1st Sunday in the month only) 8.30am Eucharist (said) 10.15am Sung Eucharist Weekday Services Thursday 9.30am Morning Prayer 10am Eucharist (1970) First Saturday of each month: 10:00 am Healing Service Saints’ Days Eucharist as announced Clergy and Ministers Bishop: Vacant, Bishop’s Office, 5 St Vincent Place, G1 2DH Tel 0141 221 6911/6912 Fax 0141 221 6490 E-mail: [email protected] Rector: The Revd Paul Romano, 32 Glencairn Drive, G41 4PW Tel : 0141 423 1247 E-mail: [email protected] Deacon: Mr Paul Whitton, Eucharistic Assistants: Mrs Liz Booth, Mr Vivian Davey . If you would like your copy of the magazine sent to you by email, please email [email protected] 2 Rector writes The news that you as a congregation raised the sum of £882 for St Luke’s Hospital in Malawi is, yet again, testament to the amazing generosity of the St Ninian’s congregation when it comes to raising money for overseas “good causes”. In the midst of my understandable pride as your Rector, I have to confess to a certain sense of unease. I am almost ashamed to admit it because on one view this reaction of mine might be regarded as downright churlish. I feel unease because there seems to be an increasing tendency to be oblivious to the poverty that exits in this country. We seem to be very reluctant to speak of such things and I wonder why. Could it be that, as the fifth richest country in the world, to speak of relative poverty is to be regarded as a dangerous “talking-down” of the nation? I am very aware of a deep undercurrent prevalent in our society, since at least the 1980s, that regards all those on benefits as being little more than scroungers. Now I am willing to accept that there will always be those who will seek to take advantage of the largesse of the state but it cannot on any view account for the facts that have emerged recently. My unease becomes more concrete and grows into a palpable sense of shock and then anger when I read the results of a United Nations Report into Poverty in the UK. Strange to say this has received but little publicity. Philip Alston, the UN rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights has published his final report on the state of Britain. The report accuses the government of the “systematic immersion of a significant part of the British population into a state of poverty”. The Report declares that 14 million people are now living in relative poverty. Recent Government policies have been compared to the creation of “Victorian workhouses”. To receive Universal Credit claimants must show they have spent 35 hours searching for work and policies are designed to make everything as difficult as possible for the claimant. The UN Report claims that nearly 40% of children are expected to be living in poverty by 2021. The Institute of Fiscal Studies has estimated the figures to be nearer to 30%. Even if the upper number is exaggerated, these figures are still utterly unacceptable in the fifth richest country in the world. The UN Report is supported by research carried out by the Care Quality Commission and UNICEF who also report on the rising number of working families dependent on food banks; the unprecedented rise in child mental health problems; teachers being driven to provide food for pupils; the closure of youth services and the hostile environment towards immigrants. The UN Report should horrify us but I think there is a very real problem about feeling able to discuss these issues as a church family. The issue lies, I think, in the fact that this is the sphere of domestic politics. It’s much easier for us 3 to talk about issues overseas and to encourage generosity in response to some emergency or worthy cause. Talking about the overseas problem very rarely raises issues of domestic party politics and so congregations feel able to talk freely. However, if the challenge is, say, poverty in Glasgow or Scotland any discussion inevitably leads to scrutinising the policies of the government of the day. The Church seems to have managed to contrive, over the centuries, a situation whereby it is regarded as not the done thing to talk about party politics. Now I quite appreciate and understand that a Rector is in a very difficult position. If a Rector makes his or her allegiance to a particular political party obvious from the pulpit, so to speak, then the Rector can expect trouble because such a declaration would make one half of the congregation happy and the other half very unhappy! A Rector is supposed to be a figure of unity not a symbol of division. If I feel a necessary constraint, no such constraint should affect you: the members of the congregation. Let us once and for all put to rest the nonsense that religion should not soil its delicate hands by plunging into the maelstrom that is politics. The way we organise our society is just as important to religion as the way we tend our soul. I have said on a number of occasions that the whole Brexit affair has diverted the country from many equally vital issues. How much more vital, then, is the issue of whether a child in the United Kingdom will or will not have a decent chance in life freed from the burden of grinding poverty? The Rector Cover photo: view of the interior of the Cathedral of the Living Christ, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo: Sandra Whitton. Please send any photos suitable for the front cover with a short description. Credit will be given for all photos used. IS. Getting to know you will return next time. If you are interested in taking part, please let me know! IS 4 DIARY FOR JUNE 2019 *** indicates use of incense 1 Sat 10am Healing Service 2 Sun Easter 7 8am Morning Prayer 8.30am Eucharist 1970 Liturgy 10.15am Sung Eucharist 1970 Liturgy 6 Thu 10am Eucharist 1970 Liturgy 8 Sat 10am Coffee morning 9 Sun Pentecost 8.30am Eucharist 10.15am Sung Eucharist 1982 Liturgy*** 6.30pm Taizé service for Pentecost 11 Tue 12.30pm Men who lunch 13 Thu 10am Eucharist 1970 Liturgy 16 Sun Trinity Sunday 8.30am Eucharist 10.15am Sung Eucharist 1982 Liturgy*** 1pm Vestry meeting 20 Thu 10am Eucharist 1970 Liturgy 23 Sun Pentecost 2 8.30am Eucharist 10.15am Sung Eucharist 1982 Liturgy 27 Thu 10am Eucharist 1970 Liturgy 30 Sun Pentecost 3 8.30am Eucharist 10.15am Sung Eucharist 1982 Liturgy 5 June Mindings 1 John Corney 15 Tom Weston 5 Arthur Fleming Colin Bullough 6 Chris Forrest 17 Vera Ferris Anne Reid 18 Albert Burke 7 Beryl Gilchrist 19 Robert Pate 10 Margaret McGifford 20 Jonathan Mall Eva Browning Skye Sarah Graham Edie Campbell 21 Margaretta Montgomery 12 Willie Boyd 22 Norma McAvoy 13 George Gibson 24 Constance Maud Caldwell Isa Cauley 30 John Harper 14 John Fraser John Girling Christian Solidarity Worldwide CSW June Prayer points. Cuba has seen over 150 violations of religious freedom in 2018, and the new constitution undermines what rights were there. In the Central African Republic, where there has been strife since 2012, there are lots of violations of religious freedom rights and civilians are targeted for religious or ethnic reasons; IDP (internally displaced persons) camps are targeted too where people are very vulnerable. Burma has hundreds of thousands being detained for their faiths or ethnicities, though some small numbers have been released and pardoned recently. The Rohingya peoples and those from the Shan and Kachin provinces continue to be at risk. With potential changes in trade agreements if Brexit comes into being, then the UK’s role in being able to use trade agreements to encourage human rights might be damaged. Please pray for all these situations and their resolution. The CSW website can give more details. Margaret E. Anderson. 6 June coffee morning to good use. We now have a Saturday 8th June marvellous selection of glasses 10:00—12:00 ranging from champagne flutes, wine glasses, high ball and pint tumblers. JS Bishop’s Lent Appeal for St Luke’s Hospital, Malosa Let Glasgow Flourish awards The Lent boxes have produced the This year we have advanced to excellent sum of £731.94 and further Highly Commended at the donations of £150 have brought the Incorporation of Gardeners of total to £881.94. Thank you to Glasgow awards. We were everyone who has given so absolutely delighted to receive this generously to the appeal to build a award. second operating theatre at the Our thanks to Liz and Ron Booth for hospital. helping to set up the new barrels and Vivian Davey plants, and to Paul Whitton for his litter-picking duties. JS Prayers for healing Please pray for Karen, Elaine Kelly, Moira Starter Packs Watson, Bernadette I am gathering crockery, kitchenware Chapman and David and other small household items to Williams. Very many take to Starter Packs. If you are thanks, your prayers are always very having a spring clear out, could you much appreciated. bring items to the church in a box or Alva Caldwell bag and I will take them to the office in Govan. Thank you. Christian Aid week Lesley Lucas The grand total raised in Christian Aid week was £1134.53 including gift Lent hymn competition aid.